The online KPPI (Praise and Divine Healing Service) was held again on Thursday, July 16, 2020 through live streaming program on Facebook and YouTube. The Word of God was delivered by Rev. Jacob B. Sumbayak, taken from Luke 5: 1-11 about Fishers becoming fishers of men.

Peter’s obedience to Jesus’ Words Produces Miracles

This event occurred at the shore of Lake Gennesaret, when the fishermen had finished fishing and they were washing their nets. In general, fishermen go out to sea at night, so it was at the morning or almost noon. Then, Jesus got into one of the boats, Simon’s boat, and told him to turn his boat away a little from the shore. Then, He sat down and taught the crowd from the boat.

After finishing teaching, Jesus said to Simon: “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Jesus performed a miracle when He called Peter to be a disciple. Jesus asked Simon to go to a deep place and cast his net to catch fish.

Peter was a good fisherman. He knew well the time to catch good fish is at night. When doing it at midday it would be difficult because the fish could see the nets spread by fishermen and they would run away. But at night it would be easier to catch because the fish did not see the nets that were let down. This is what usually done by a professional fisherman. They will go to sea at night and not during the day.

But it was in the morning, and Jesus told Peter to cast his net. Peter, who was experienced in fishing, replied: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

It can be imagined that fishing all night and did not catch anything, more over in the morning as it almost noon, it would be the same thing. But because the Master said it, Simon Peter obeyed and did it. He took an action because he believed in Jesus. It turned out that a miracle happened.

Fishing boats at that time were estimated to be 7 meters long and 2 meters wide, usually with a crew of about 5 people, 4 people rowing on the left and right sides, and 1 person would lead to give instruction. When the boat is full, it can carry up to 13 passengers or if it is filled with fish, it carry about ½ tons of fish.

And after they did what Jesus said, they caught a large number of fish, so their nets began to tear up. Then they signaled to his friends in the other boat that they would come to help him. And they came, and together they filled the two boats with fish until they were almost drowned.

So roughly they get about 1 ton of fish. This is a wonderful miracle that Jesus performed. From getting no fish all night, in the morning they got 1 ton of fish. Seeing this, Simon Peter was very amazed. He was a professional fisherman, so he knew exactly that it was a miracle. So he fell down in front of Jesus and said: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Jesus Calls Peter, Fisherman Becomes Fisher of Men

When Jesus is present miracles take place. When the presence of God is in our midst, something can happen for us, This is what was felt by Peter. Peter could feel God’s presence. His miracles had made him see how great God was, how holy God was, and he could see how sinful he was compared to God’s incredible greatness.

Peter could see behind all the miracles of catching a ton of fish, he saw the presence of Jesus, His presence and His power, making Peter feel unworthy to be close to Jesus. This is a feeling felt by someone who feels God’s presence. We feel God is so big and we are so small. God is so holy and we are so unclean. God is so powerful and we are nothing, God is so big and we really aren’t worthy before God.

Maybe this is also what we feel, when we are under the power of God, when we know that there is a God in our midst. There is a God who can open all the secrets in our lives, there is God the Almighty. Today we can also say like Peter, “I am not worthy before You, I have sinned too much, I hurt you too much, I made too many mistakes, committed this and that sin.”

Listen to what Jesus said to Peter, “Don’t be afraid”. Maybe we feel unworthy, we feel sinful, we have tried many times to search about God and we feel unworthy. But today when we meet the presence of God, if we feel God is so big and we are so small, it is God’s grace. Why? Because we can realize our mistakes. need forgiveness, and only Jesus can do it. Jesus went to the cross, suffered and died, shed His blood to atone for our sins. Therefore, listen to Jesus say, “Don’t be afraid”.

When Peter was called by God, not only was Peter forgiven and sanctified by God, but Jesus made Peter the fisher of men. And Peter followed Jesus all his life, over 3 years Peter lived with Jesus, he loved Jesus until Jesus died on the cross, until he saw Jesus raised from the dead.

The Word of God says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” Will you now believe in Jesus? Will you stop all your searching and find forgiveness in Jesus Christ? Let us come to an understanding that our sins are forgiven by God, with His holy blood.

For those of you who are sick, God’s Word in John 9:1-41, tells of Jesus healing the eyes of a person who was blind from birth. Jesus spat on the ground, and stirred the saliva with the ground, then rubbed it on the blind man’s eyes and said to him: “Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.”

This blind man believed in Jesus so he did what Jesus said, and a miracle happened, his eyes were opened and he could see.

Believe in God that tonight Jesus will heal you. The Word of God in Isaiah 53: 5 guarantees you that by the stripes of the Lord Jesus all of your sicknesses are healed. [YF/EM]